


Terminum Viae

by WinchesterByChoice



Category: Supernatural
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-09
Updated: 2018-11-08
Packaged: 2019-06-07 21:55:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15228717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinchesterByChoice/pseuds/WinchesterByChoice
Summary: A continuation of the canon story beginning sometime after S13E23. Anything in S14 and beyond will not apply unless indicated.Sam and Dean have fought the good fight most of their lives. They've always assumed that they'd go out in a blaze of glory. Maybe they will, maybe they won't. The world always needs saving, and this time, it needs saving from a Michael from another universe. Will they all make it out of this? Or is it the end of the road?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A continuation of the canon story beginning sometime after S13E23. Anything in S14 and beyond will not apply unless indicated.

Sam is pacing the floor. He can't believe what he's hearing, although he really shouldn't be surprised. 

No sooner had they managed to get Jack into the bunker, then Dean had begun railing about how they needed to find a way to strike out at Michael. When Dean mentioned tearing a hole in reality, Sam didn't even give him a chance to lay out his plan.

"We just got you back from Michael, and you want to go on a suicide mission?" Sam seeths.

Dean knew this wouldn't go over well when he pitched the idea of having Jack rip another hole in reality, but he sees little choice in the matter. "Michael is circling around for a new vessel as we speak. We don't have time to argue about this."

Sam faces Cas with a pleading look "Cas, back me up on this!"

Before Cas can answer, Jack pipes up, exhausted. "Sam...we have to-"

Dean ignores Jack, completely focused on Sam. "I don't like it any more than you do, but Michael is coming, and our last ace is down for the count." Dean gestures at Jack, who is crumpled in a chair, barely conscious after his fight to pull Michael out of Dean.

Sam tries again. "That's my point. He needs time to rest. He can't possibly rip a hole in reality right now. Besides, where would we go? How does our leaving the here-and-now save it from Michael?"

Dean's not giving up. They are running out of time. He can feel it. The tiny trace of Michael's grace left inside him is absolutely blazing. Dean's not sure what it means, but it can't be good. "We're not leaving, exactly. It's more like going to pick up someone."

"Who exactly do we need to 'pick up' that requires a hole in existence?" Sam's stomach turns as his subconscious screams the answer he's so desperately trying to deny.

Dean puts a hand on Sam's shoulder. "Sam, I know you aren't going to like this, but Michael is going to roast us all unless we can find someone powerful enough to stand against him. We need an archangel."

Sam is rocked back on his heels, swatting away Dean's hand like it's on fire. Dean can't be serious. The only archangel that has ever defeated this Michael was technically an alternate version of Lucifer. Are they really that desperate? Is Michael really worse than Lucifer? Sam's voice drags from his throat in a sandy whisper. "You can't be serious."

Dean turns to Jack. "Kid! You think you've got enough juice to tear a hole?"

"A hole to where?" Jack mumbles, not understanding what's going on.

Cas stares at Dean in shock. "The Empty?" He whispers. With rising anger Cas steps forward between Dean and Jack. "You want to go to the Empty to free Lucifer?"

Sam flinches at the idea brought to life in words. This can't be happening.

"Not Lucifer. Gabriel." Dean retorts. "Cas, you've been there. You can help guide Jack to get us there."

Cas shakes his head. "Even if Jack could get us there, and that is a big if considering his current state, how would we find Gabriel? The Empty is literally that: a big black nothing. Besides, everything in the Empty is in a permanent sleep. Even if we found him, how would we wake Gabriel?"

Dean scrambles for an answer. "Jack woke you, maybe he can wake Gabriel too."

Cas sighs "Dean, Jack and I have a bond and he used that to wake me. You can't expect that to work for Gabriel. Most importantly, you can't just waltz in there Dean. The Empty has a sentry." 

"I figured as much, but you got out. How did you do it?" Dean insists.

"I'm not sure." Cas admits.

Sam finally finds his voice again and tries to steer the runaway train back on a less insane course. "We still have the archangel blade."

Dean snorts "Michael is not going to let us anywhere near him to use that thing."

"But he's going to let Gabriel stroll on up? Is that the plan?" Sam asks.

"You got any better ideas, Sam?" Dean knows he probably doesn't, and this is a low blow, but there is literally no time for sugar coating.

Sam focuses on Cas, taking a step closer to get his attention since he is examining a whimpering Jack and no longer paying attention, it seems. "Cas, angels AND demons go to The Empty, right?"

Cas does not look up, but answers "Yes." with a curt nod.

Sam takes a deep breath "What about Crowley?"

"You'd bring back Crowley over Gabriel?" Dean says, raising an eyebrow.

"Truth be told I don't want either of them back on the field, but lesser evils prevail when the world is ending." Sam groans.

"Because that's worked wonders in the past." Cas mutters.

"Well hell, let's flip the light switch on the whole place and have ourselves a dance party! It'll be like the high school reunion I never wanted." Dean laughs with angry sarcasm.

Jack tries to sit up. "I don't think I can hold long enough for that."

Dean leans around Cas and winks "Don't worry, kid. We're gonna be in and out. We are grabbing Gabriel and then we're gone. No stowaways."


	2. Chapter 2

Castiel knows there is no use arguing with Dean. He’s got that look in his eye, the look he gets when he won’t take no for an answer. It’s also the look he gets right before he does something cosmically stupid. You would think after all of these years that Castiel would be accustomed to this dance, and yet, it makes him uneasy every time Dean goes barreling into some ridiculously dangerous plan to save the world. 

At least Castiel had managed to convince Dean that Jack needed to stay behind to hold open the portal. It was mostly true considering Jack’s weakened state. Castiel had wanted to stay behind with Jack, to protect him, but Sam and Dean could not be allowed to wander The Empty alone. The Sentry was here somewhere and there was no telling what shape it would take when it faced Sam and Dean. Kind of like a boggart in Harry Potter, it seemed to take the shape of and bring to light things you fear. Castiel smiled a little to himself at conjuring that reference. 

The Sentry had appeared to him with his own face. Or, to be specific, the face of Jimmy Novak. Though the face was the same, the structure was technically his own. The real Jimmy Novak had died long ago, and that vessel had been decimated and recreated more times than anyone could accurately measure. Even so, the being from The Empty had burrowed deep into Castiel’s being to drag forth all of the things he feared, all of the dark musings that had ever tried to overtake him during his time on Earth dealing with the Winchesters. The Winchesters: Castiel’s greatest weakness.

They had been wandering The Empty for what seemed like hours, but time here worked differently, and not at all in a consistent fashion. Castiel could not measure it exactly, could not pin down its logic, and that only added to his unease in this dark place.

“We should go soon. The longer we stay here, the greater the chances we will be caught.”

Sam and Dean did not respond. They continued on into the darkness.

“Guys, seriously.”

“We hear you, man, okay, lay off. Just a little bit longer.” Dean grumbles. Finally he stops, looks around, and whispers to himself “Screw this.”

Sam turns to Dean, alarm blooming in his expression. He reaches out for Dean, but before he can grab him, Castiel realizes too late why Sam is panicking.

“GABRIEL! WAKE UP, YOU DICK!”

“Dean!” Sam and Castiel whisper desperately in unison.

“LET’S GO, PLAYBOY, NAP TIME’S OVER!”

Castiel darts up behind Dean, grabbing his left arm, and in one swift motion, swings his right arm around Dean, covering his mouth and yanking his head back before he can yell again. He pulls Dean close to him so that he cannot break free. Dean tries to fight him off, but he can’t. Castiel is using his full strength. He whispers in Dean’s ear. “Have you lost your mind? Are you TRYING to get us all killed?”

But it’s too late.

Sam places a hand on Castiel’s shoulder to call his attention to something in the distance.

The Sentry moves forward from the black.

Team Free Will freezes in place as it appears, shapeless and shiny, like a mirage in the desert. As it comes closer, it shifts and rolls. With three of them to approach, the Sentry is deciding which form would be most disconcerting to them as a whole.

Castiel releases Dean, shaking Sam’s hand from his shoulder, and swiftly steps in front of both of them, to shield them from this thing. He’s faced it before. He can do it again. He hears Dean yell “Cas!” but as he steps toward the shimmering, in a blink, Castiel is standing alone in pitch black again.


End file.
